Steam joint



R. CARIPENTER 2,350,492

STEAM JOINT Filed Dec. 2, 1942 2 Sheets$heet 1 INVENTOR ausssu. maven-ran June 6,' 1944 R. CARPENTER STEAM JOINT Filedpeo. 2, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN'I'OR RUSSELL CARPEII'IER Wzsiirfszr Patented June 6, 1944 1 UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE 1 .STEAM JOINT: )1 ,RnssellQarpenter; Three ltiverspQuebec, Canada 2, 1942; Serial No. 467,655 scams, (onset- 10) This invention relates to steam joints for steam heated cylinders or rolls employed inthe papermakingandother industries." r

"The'principal object isto provide an improved steam joint assembly in which the stationary and rotating parts are assembledin' a novel manner which reduces loss of steam due to leakage and 'which'results in a substantially reduced drag- 'ging' or braking eifect being imposed on the steam heated roll or cylinder compared with the steam joints now in use.

Another object is to provide a steam joint assembly in which anti-friction bearings are interposed between the stationary and rotating parts and in which novel means are provided for pre- Fig. '2 is a-longitudinal sectionalview of the assembly shown in Fig. 1.

' Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along thelin'e 33 of Fig. 2. p I "Inthese drawings my improved joint assemblyis generally indicated at 5 and is shown atta'ched to a journal 6 representing one of the journals of a steam heated roll or cylinder. As here'shown, my improved'jolnt assembly comprises a rotating casting I through which extends a stationary condensate'pipe 8 and a stationary steam supply pipe 9, the condensate pipe being-arranged inside the steam supply pipe and theinner ends of both of said pipes being extended inwardly through the roll journal 6 in the usual'manner. p The casting 1* includesco-axial hollow end sections HI and Il spaced apart by connectin arms l2 cast integral therewith.-

The end section In is a stufling box section presentingspaced flanges 'l3 and I4 projecting outwardly from opposite ends of a tubular connecting web l5 which forms the annular wall of a stufling box 16 having a centrally apertured end wall I! through which the steam supply pipe 9 extends, said wall I! being formed by a flange projecting inwardly from the outer end of web I5.

Application December The flange i3 is fastened to journal 6 by stud bolts l8 and forms, with the flange I4 and web I5; an'annula'r' groove or channel I9 containing a pairof pinions 20 fixed to diametrically opposed screw shafts 2| journalled in bearing openings 22 and 23 provided in flanges l3 and I4. Screw threaded portions Zla of shafts 2| project outwardly through the bearing openings 23 and have sleeves 25 threaded thereon. The sleeves '25 are rotatably secured in openings 26 provided in lugs 21 projecting outwardly from a packing gland 28 which is fitted in the open end of the stuffing box IE and serves to compress the packing material 29 which is arranged in the stufiing box in sealing'contact with the outer surface of the stationary steam supply pipe 9. The pinions 2flf niesh with a ring gear 3| which is fitted in the-channel *19 and'is carried by a rotatably mounted hand wheel 32. The ring gear 28 works in'a guide slot 34 formed by and between the inner side edges of two channel covering guide -rings 35'and 36 which are fastened by studs 31 to-the outer peripheral edges of flanges l3 and so that they overlie the channel IS. The hand wheel 32 is provided with oppositely directed bearing flanges 39 and 40 which ride the outer surface-of rings 35 and 36.

- As-hereinafter explained the hand wheel 32, ring gear'3|-, pinions 20 and sleeves 23 provide accessible and convenient means for adjusting the packing gland 29 while the casting 'l is rotating with journal 6.

" The end H of casting 1 constitutes a bearing housing section 41 including a circumferential wall 42 and an inner end wall 43, the latter-being provided with a central opening 45 for the passage of the steam supply pipe 9 and with a recess "46' formed in the side thereof facing the open end of-the bearing housing 41.

That portion of steam supply pipe 9 which extends through bearing housing 4'! is supported by two anti-friction bearings 49 and 50 and are maintained in spaced relation by an interposed spacing ring 5| secured to said pipe. The bearing 49 is arranged between the spacin ring 5| and the end wall 43 of housing 41, and its inner race 49a is clamped against the adjacent side of the spacing ring by a clamping nut 53 which is screwed onto a threaded portion 54 of pipe 9. The bearing 50 is arranged between the spacing ring 5| and an end plate 55 closing the outer end of bearing housing 41, the inner race 50a, of bearing 50 being confined between the spacing ring 5| and an outwardly projecting annular shoulder 56 of steam supply pipe 9, said shoulder 56 being fitted in a central opening 55a of end plate 55 and being engaged by packing material 58 fitted in a race 59 of a sealing ring 60 which is fastened to the outer side Of plate 55 by screws 6|. The outer races 4% and 50b of bearings 49 and 50 are slidable on the inner surface of wall 42 of bearing housing 41 to permit limited relative axial movement between pipe 9 and casting 1, it being noted that bearings 49 and 50 are arranged bearing housing 4! with sufficient clearance to permit these bearings to move relative to the end wall 43 and end plate 55 of said housing.

Leakage of stem into bearing housing 41 through the central opening 45 of wall 43 is pre? a.

vented by a sealing member 64 which is fitted in a groove 65 provided in a sealing ring 66 which is fastened by screws 61 to the outer side of said wall 53. A steam deflecting ring 68 is arranged adjacent the outer side of sealing ring 66 and also servestodeflect steam away from the afores d pe n fig a. 1, ,ili l-a i r. end o r h c r i b yond shoulder 5,6 is provided with a flange 9a toflwhich a cover plate 9b is secured, said cover plate; being, provided with a central nipple 90 through which the outer end of the condensate pipeil is extended to any suitable condensate discharge point i Between the shoulder 56 and the'ffiange 9 a,.thepipe 9 is provided with a latlerally directedsteam inlet 9f having a flang 9g lwhich isbolted, asv at 10, to the flange 1| of a 1 ie ei en v c nd t? V A steam jq constructed as described herein is characterized ,by a number of advantageou features, The interposition of the anti-friction bearings Miami 50 between the rotating casting ll andjthe stationary steam supply pipe '9 reduces the dragging orbraking effect of the Joint assembly on the journal of the roll or cylinder ,to which it is applied. -The manner in which the bearings 49 and 50 areenclosed in the bear- ,ing housing is an important feature in that it-reduces the possibility ofsteam leaking into :contact with and damaging these bearings. The possibility of steam leaking into contact with these bearings is further minimized by the provisionef the stufiing box It containing the packingfi fl which effectually prevents outward leakageof steam along the-outer surface of the pipe 19, in the direction of the bearing housing 41. Such steam as may seep past the stuffing box 16 is prevented from enteringthe bearing hous- Ping 4'lbythe sealing; material :.64 and the steam Ideflecting ring 68, E

,Another advantage; of the construction descried herein is that'the removal of the plate 55closingthe outer-end of-the bearing housing 41 permits the pipe ,9 and the bearings and 5Q to be removed as-a by simplysliding these parts to the right after the-pipe 9 has been dis- ;co'nnec'ted from the.,ma in steam supply con- ,dllit 12.

a-further advantage of the construction describedherein is that :when the casting l is rotating with.;the journal 6 and it is desired to tighten thepacking gland 28', this may be accomplishedin afsimple and convenient manner by. merely holding:thenormally revolving hand wheel 32 stationary for a suificient period of time so that the resulting rotation of the traveling pinions 20 will act through the screw shafts 2| and sleeves 25 to force the gland 28 against the packing material 29.

Having thus described what I now conceive to be the preferred embodiment of this invention, it will be understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope and spirit ,of the appended claims.

7 scribed including a stufl'ing box having a centrally apertured wall at one end thereof, means for securing said stufiing box to a journal of a rotatable steam heated roll or cylinder whereby said stufiing box-adapted to be rotated with said journal, a stationary steam pipe extending through said stufiing box, a packing gland encircling said pipe andlslidably fitted in the end of the stuflingbox remotefron said centrally apertured end wall aring gear rotatably carried by said stuning box,;. pinion shafts rotatably journalledin bearings carried by said stufiing box and equipped with pinions meshing with said ring gear and means connected between said pinion shafts and said packing gland for adjusting the latter in response to rotation of the pinion shafts about their axes. a

2. A steam joint assembly as set forth in claim 1 including a bearing .housing rigidly attached tosaid stuffing boxjand-pr'ovided with end walls having openings'through which said steam pipe extends, anti-friction bearings arranged in said bearing housing with the innerraces of the bearings carried by said pipe and the outer races engaging a wall of the bearinghousing which encircles said pipe and means for sealing the end openings of the bearin g ho'using through which said pipe extends. I

3. A steam joint assembly-of the character described including a stufiing box entirely open at one end and having the opposite end partially closed by an nd'wall provided with a central opening for the passagelof a steam pipe, means for rigidly securing said 'stufling box to a journal of a rotating steam heatedroll or cylinder whereby said stuifing box is supported by said journal to rotate therewithfa stationary steam supply pipe extending through said stufling box, a packing gland encircling said steam pipe and slidably fitted in the open end of the'stufling box, pack ing material arranged in the stuffing box between the centrally.,apertured end wall thereof and said packing gland, said stufling boxbeing provided with an outwardly openingannular channel extending a'roundthe outer surface thereof, an internal ring gear fitted in said channel and rotatably carried by said stufling box, pinion shafts rotatably journalled in bearings provided in the side wallsof said channel, pinions fixed to saidpinion shafts andmeshing with said ring gear and connections between said pinion shafts and said packing gland whereby thelatter is shifted to different positions of adjustment in response to rotationof the pinion shafts about their axes; q

,; RUSSELL CARPENTER. 

